Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1777, the Katrina Emergency Assistance Act.  This bill would extend jobless unemployment benefits for 165,000 survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for 13 weeks.

In August 2005 Hurricane Katrina laid waste to our Gulf Coast region, including the City of New Orleans, and devastated other villages and towns in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.  The extent of the devastation was unprecedented in our nation’s history.  I have repeatedly expressed my outrage at the failure of our federal government to adequately respond to this disaster.

Without this legislation, victims of the Hurricane Katrina disaster will lose their unemployment assistance this Saturday.  Under current law, federal emergency unemployment assistance expires 26 weeks after the emergency occurs.  Congress must act now to ensure that these victims continue to receive our support as they attempt to rebuild their lives and their communities.

While I support the legislation before us, this is only a first step for Congress.  Many of the Katrina survivors have also lost their homes and belongings.  They are continuing to look for employment in the region.

Congress needs to take a bold step and enact a comprehensive approach to help the people and the region recover from this natural disaster.  I have co-sponsored H.R. 4197, the Hurricane Katrina Recovery, Reclamation, Restoration, Reconstruction and Reunion Act of 2005, introduced by the Congressional Black Caucus.  I urge the House leadership to bring up this legislation immediately.  This legislation would take important steps toward fully restoring the Gulf Coast and reuniting evacuees with their families.  The bill addresses the needs of evacuees in the areas of health, education, housing, community rebuilding, voting rights, business, and financial services.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and again urge the House leadership to immediately allow the House to vote on H.R. 4197, the comprehensive Hurricane Katrina recovery legislation.